Under Armour athletes are taking to social media this week to express their views on President Trump, their actions prompted by UA CEO Kevin Plank calling him a "real asset" to the U.S. Following Steph Curry's response that Trump is more ass than asset, wrestler and actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who signed with the brand in 2015, wrote a lengthy Instagram post on Thursday asserting that he doesn't agree with Plank on the matter.
"I appreciate and welcome the feedback from people who disagree (and agree) with Kevin Plank's words on CNBC," he wrote, "but these are neither my words, nor my beliefs."
Johnson went on to call Plank's apparent Trump support "divisive and lacking in perspective."
Misty Copeland, a ballet dancer on Under Armour's roster, echoed that sentiment with a similar post on her Instagram on Thursday.
"I have always appreciated the great support and platform that Under Armour has given me to represent my community, gender, and career on the world stage," Copeland wrote. "However, I strongly disagree with Kevin Plank's recent comments in support of Trump as recently reported."
Plank's controversial remarks stem from an interview on CNBC's Halftime Report where he was asked about his meeting with President Trump. Plank met with Trump on Jan. 23, along with execs from companies like Dell Technologies and Dow Chemical, to discuss manufacturing jobs in America.
Read the responses of these top Under Armour athletes below.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson on Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank's Trump Comments:
"I appreciate and welcome the feedback from people who disagree (and agree) with Kevin Plank's words on CNBC, but these are neither my words, nor my beliefs. His words were divisive and lacking in perspective. Inadvertently creating a situation where the personal political opinions of UA’s partners and its employees were overshadowed by the comments of its CEO.
A good company is not solely defined by its CEO. A good company is not defined by the athlete or celebrity who partners with them. A good company is not a single person. A good company is a team, a group of brothers and sisters committed to working together each and every day to provide for their families and one another and the clients they serve.
We don’t partner with a brand casually. I partner with brands I trust and with people who share my same values. That means a commitment to diversity, inclusion, community, open-mindedness and some serious hard work. But it doesn't mean that I or my team will always agree with the opinion of everyone who works there, including its executives. Great leaders inspire and galvanize the masses during turbulent times, they don't cause people to divide and disband.
My responsibility here is not only to the global audience we serve, but also to the thousands of workers who pour blood, sweat, and tears into making Under Armour strong. A diverse group of hardworking men and women who possess integrity, respect and compassion for one another and the world they live in. Debate is healthy. But in a time of widespread disagreement, so is loyalty. I feel an obligation to stand with this diverse team, the American and global workers, who are the beating heart and soul of Under Armour and the reason I chose to partner with them.
My commitment is as real as my sweat and callouses[sic] that thicken daily. #CommittedToThePeople"
Misty Copeland on Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank's Trump Comments:
"I have always appreciated the great support and platform that Under Armour has given me to represent my community, gender, and career on the world stage. However, I strongly disagree with Kevin Plank's recent comments in support of Trump as recently reported. Those of you who have supported and followed my career know that the one topic I've never backed away from speaking openly about is the importance of diversity and inclusion. It is imperative to me that my partners and sponsors share this belief. I have spoken at length with Kevin privately about the matter, but as someone who takes my responsibility as a role model very seriously, it is important to me that he, and UA, take public action to clearly communicate and reflect our common values in order for us to effectively continue to work towards our shared goal of trying to motivate ALL people to be their best selves."
